Gallagher Premiership

Bristol (0) 0

Tries: Cons: Pens:

Sale (20) 38

Tries: Quirke, Roebuck, B. Curry, O’Flaherty Cons: R. du Preez 3 Pens: R. du Preez 3 Drop-goal: Ford

Sale Sharks brought a resounding end to Bristol Bears’ festivities with a thumping 38-0 victory on the road at Ashton Gate.

Sale centre Rob du Preez kicked 15 points as the Sharks prevented Bristol’s previously in-form attack from putting any points on the board for their worst home defeat in eight years.

Raffi Quirke ghosted through a gap inside two minutes to score the opening try and set the tone, before Tom Roebuck added a second and George Ford kicked a drop goal.

Ben Curry intercepted a pass to add a third try after the half-time break before Tom O’Flaherty stylishly stole another ball deep in Bristol territory to run the length of the field for the bonus point score, and cap an impressive Sale display.

The win is the first away from home for Sale, built on an impenetrable defensive display, and sees them move up to third in the Premiership table ahead of the rest of the weekend’s matches.

Bristol meanwhile fell to their worst loss at home since they were beaten 39-0 by Saracens in September 2016.

The Bears were full of confidence after thrashing Leicester in a record-breaking win at Welford Road last weekend, to remain level on points with league leaders Bath.

However, the trend of their night was arguably set before kick-off, when it was confirmed fly-half AJ MacGinty would miss the next four months with a knee injury and England prop Ellis Genge was ruled out.

Sharks number nine Quirke – on only his third start this season – showed more of the form that made England head coach Steve Borthwick a fan when he cut inside and darted through a gap to run over in the corner.

A Rob du Preez penalty pushed the Sharks to a two-score lead inside 10 minutes, as Sale’s pack pinned Bristol entirely into their own half.

Bristol’s attack has been fizzing this season – averaging 38 points in eight previous games – but they were out of sorts as their first chance to run at the opposition saw a long ball over the top go begging, before another from Harry Randall was thrown forward.

Sale came close to a second try but saw Luke Cowan-Dickie bundled into touch two metres out, and while the Bears players were celebrating the mood changed when Randall was sent to the bin after a check by the television match official for a cynical tackle.

The Sharks instantly added their second try as Ford spotted space on the right and sent a long pass over the top to Roebuck, and Bristol’s woes worsened when top try scorer Gabriel Ibitoye went off just after half an hour looking in discomfort.

Sam Worsley, in at 10 for MacGinty, missed a drop goal, while opposite number Ford cooly nailed his own at the other end, to stretch Sale’s lead to 20 points.

Traffic continued to be one-way through the second half, starting with another Rob du Preez penalty. Tom Curry then snatched an intercept as Bristol tried to play out from the back, to score under the posts.

Bristol tried to restore some pride and put something on the board, but with a penalty advantage restart metres from the Sale line a miss-pass was scooped up by O’Flaherty who ran the length of the field and, after a one-two with Quirke, dived into the corner to seal the bonus point.

While Bristol set a new record against the Tigers for a 10th consecutive win on the road last weekend, defeat against Sale is their third out of four games at home this campaign.

Bristol: Lane; Bates, Ravouvou, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; Worsley, Randall; Woolmore, Thacker, Lahiff; Dun, Owen, Luatua, Harding (c), Mata.

Replacements: Oghre, Y. Thomas, Kloska, Hodgso, Grondona, Marmion, Williams, Elizalde.

Sin bin: Harry Randall (21 mins)

Sale: Carpenter, Roebuck, R. du Preez, James, O’Flaherty, Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, T. Curry, B. Curry (c), D. du Preez.

Replacements: Caine, McIntyre, John, Beaumont, JL. du Preez, Warr, Bedlow, Dugdale.

Sin bin: Sam Bedlow (79 mins)

Referee: Adam Leal